open mic storytelling competition

The Moth StorySLAM - MONEY

Monday, October 30th

Doors: 6:30 pm / Show: 7:30 pm

$10

This month's theme is MONEY. Prepare a five-minute story about making ends meet. Ramen noodles or caviar dinners. Renting a back room or that house you just inherited. Haves or have nots. Tell us tales of cheapskates and big spenders, misers or millionaires. Pawn shops, spending sprees, eBay deals, and piggy bank funds. Selling your blood or buying a round for the whole bar.

FOOD TRUCK: At tonight's show we'll have food available for purchase from Tacos El Rey in front of The Freight starting at 6:30 PM.

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The Moth StorySLAM, according to the London Guardian, is “brilliant and quietly addictive.” The Village Voice calls it “an exuberant moveable feast.” Now that feast is moving to the Freight!

What is the Moth StorySLAM exactly? It’s an open-mic storytelling competition. You’re invited to watch and listen – and if you put your name in the hat, you might be selected to compete!

How to Tell a Story at The Moth StorySLAM:
First, consult www.themoth.org/events for the season line up of themes and prepare a 5 minute, true story, to be told without notes.

6:30pm: Sign up to tell a story, volunteer to be on a judging team or just sit back and listen.
7:30pm (SHARP): We'll pick the first name and the show will begin. Each teller will have 5 minutes to tell his or her tale. After each story, the judges confer, and give a score. The teller with the highest score becomes our StorySLAM winner. The winner will compete with the year's other winners in our next GrandSLAM Championship.

Be forewarned: The Moth is for true stories. OK, there won't be a fact-checker there, and the FBI probably won't dig into your files to verify the names and dates and places, but please know, emphatically, The Moth is not for fiction stories. The tiny fictions and lies we tell ourselves are part of our "true stories" but fabricated people, places or events are not allowed.

The Moth is not a venue for readings; it is a venue for tellings. No notes, papers, or cheat sheets allowed. Contestants are judged on sticking to the five-minute time frame, sticking to the theme and having a story that sticks—one that has a conflict and a resolution.

Story tips:
No standup routines please: The Moth loves funny people but requires that all funny people tell funny stories. Steer clear of meandering endings: Your last line should be clear in your head. Start in the action and set up the stakes.